04.17.10
Jessica + Jeff
HOW WE MET
While we knew of each other through mutual friends from both high school and college, we did not start hanging out until Thanksgiving Eve 2007. Our friends, Beth and Blane, had all of our high school and Atlanta friends over to their apartment for a party and then to go out in Buckhead. We spent the entire night together and had a lot of fun. We went out on our first official date a week later and have been inseparable since!
THE PROPOSAL
We had planned to spend the whole day together on what we had jokingly called "Ultimate Date Day". It started off with us going to breakfast at J. Christophers before heading to Jeff's first lacrosse game at Kell. We then grabbed lunch at Chick Fil-A and headed down to the aquarium (I wanted to go to the aquarium because Jeff has never been and as some of you know he really likes penguins and the aquarium has a really neat penguin exhibit). We got to the aquarium at 3 or so and waited in the will call line to go in at 4. Well we waited and waited and when we finally got to the front of the line the attendant in the booth said we could not go in until 5 (even though it was 3:45). Jeff asked the lady why we couldn't go in at 4 but the lady just said we could not, so we decided to just use our tickets another day. The new World of Coca-Cola is now located right next to the aquarium, so Jeff asks me if I'd like to go there. I agree to go and we go thru the entire World of Coke and see every exhibit and show they have. When we leave Jeff calls his Mom and lets her know we are leaving and heading to the hotel to check in and change to go to dinner (Jeff's Mom gave us a 'free' night with her points that she couldn't use). We then walked into our suite into the living room and put down our stuff and I asked Jeff what time our dinner reservations were. While asking this question I follow him into the next room where I look down and see a trail of red rose pedals on the ground, in front of the TV, and on the back of the bed. This trail led to a display that Jeff's mom and sister set up while we were at World of Coca-Cola (that is why we went there when we couldn't go to the aquarium). The display had two towel swans that his sister, Leigh, made that were shaped like a heart and the ring was sitting where their heads met, fruit, cheese and crackers, nuts, wine, and two dozen beautiful red roses. Jeff took the ring and asked if I would marry him. After starting to cry, I said yes!
Right after he proposed, he told me that we never had reservations. He arranged for my brother to come over and for my Dad and two sisters and his sister to all come into town so that we could celebrate with both of our families at his parent's house for a wonderful celebration dinner. After dinner we went back to the hotel and woke up and had a wonderful breakfast. It was a perfect way to celebrate our engagement!